Riding with history: Inside the Griquas’ journey to Currie Cup glory

THERE'S a quote that goes: “We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand – and melting like a snowflake.”

This must have been in the back of DFA sports reporter and photographer, Danie van der Lith’s head when he was invited to accompany underdogs, the Suzuki Griquas, to the 2025 Currie Cup final against a formidable URC-dense Fidelity ADT Lions team.

Van der Lith made the trip, and shared his experiences of rubbing shoulders with the team, hoping to give Kimberley readers a glimpse, a taste, a moment of experiencing this historic final for themselves.

He writes …

Opportunities do not come every day. Most of the time, we miss them. Sometimes it is fear of the unknown, sometimes the finances are not there, and sometimes we simply make excuses. 

For me, the opportunity to travel with the Griquas to Johannesburg as their photographer for the Currie Cup final at Ellis Park was something I could not let pass by.

I grew up around rugby because my father was a Western Province referee. As a child, I was inside big stadiums, but I have no memory of those moments. My rugby life was lived in front of a television set, watching the Springboks and Currie Cup finals, always dreaming of being there one day. 

Tickets, travel, and accommodation were usually too expensive. Big stadiums remained a dream. But suddenly, this door opened, and I packed my bags without hesitation.

At 5.15am on Saturday morning, I arrived at Kimberley’s Suzuki Stadium. The supporters’ bus stood there waiting, its engine humming, almost like it was ready to carry not just passengers, but dreams. Supporters, already buzzing with excitement, gathered with flags, cooler boxes, and jerseys in peacock blue. 

The air was filled with laughter and conversation, and you could sense the anticipation.

By 5.30am we left a dark and quiet Kimberley behind. The town slept while we set off to chase history. Inside the bus, however, it was not quiet. Laughter, singing, and the sound of bottles opening filled the air. It was more than a bus ride; this was more like a moving festival, a celebration before the anticipated big celebration.

Along the road, I spoke with supporters, and while many laughed and drank, there was also a sense of foreboding, some trepidation. I could hear the uncertainty in their voices. After all, the Lions had beaten the Griquas heavily at Ellis Park only two weeks earlier. On paper, the Lions looked unbeatable with their United Rugby Championship (URC) players. 

Some supporters voiced their fears that it might happen again. But I could not share in that doubt; the negative energy slid off me like water off a duck’s back. 

I told them all, “On the day, anything is possible – and if the Griquas fire, they can beat anyone.”

The journey was long, with supporters carrying a mix of hope, confidence and desire, alongside doubt, fear and foreboding – but the party vibes made the trip easier. The further we drove, the louder the songs became, the doubt, fear and darkness dissolved, and the hope grew stronger. 

Ellis Park was waiting, and so was destiny. It’s as if everyone on the supporters’ bus knew somehow that this group of Kimberlites would have a ringside seat to something massive, something truly historical!

History – evidenced by Griquas beautiful win – will reflect that we were not mistaken.